The invention concerns a method and a device for examining the wear and friction properties of surface materials exposed to sliding friction.
Thus far, for the study of the wear and friction properties of surface materials one has to rely on practical tests whereby the components for which the materials are ultimately destined are incorporated in the machine in question. For example, when checking the valve plates operating in conjunction with the lobes of a camshaft in car engines, the engines are tested on the test bench or the cars are tested on the test track in order to check the action of the valve plates. Similar tests require a lot of time and money before yielding data offering reliable predictions about the properties of the components or the materials.
The invention aims at providing a method which effectively overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks while offering a fast and simple way of predicting the wear and/or friction properties of materials.